Drain



Patented Apr. 27, 1948 UNITED STATES "FATE OFFICE DR IN" Ciliflord M. RicejAlexandrlapvai Application January22, 1945, SerialNo. 573;902

1 Claim.

The instant invention relates to shower-bath drainsandmmoreparticularly to such a drain'ufor residential coaches, buses, trailers, trains, boats and the like 7 i One ofthe primary. objectsioi'the invention is the construction oiadrainof the. character-3m dictated/which automaticallypumps the terinto'a waste storage tank.

Still another purpose is the construction of a shower bath drain having float-operated pump means within the drain pipe for automatically operating the pump when the float is raised by waste water flowing into said drain pipe.

The above and other aims and objects will be apparent from the detailed description hereinafter appearing when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings to which reference is now made and in which the single figure is a vertical sectional view through a shower bath drain showing the invention.

As is Well known, buses, coaches, trailers and the like, do not have the advantage of a long gravity flow in their shower or kitchen sink drain pipes. Accordingly, it is highly desirable that Waste water be quickly removed and preferably by some automatically actuated mechanical means. This is accomplished in a simple and efllcient manner by the construction illustrated on the accompanying drawing.

The reference numeral designates the floor of a shower bath stall or alternatively the floor of a sink or bathtub. The well-known circular perforated plate 2 covers the opening 3 in the floor I, said opening leading to a, hollow drain pipe 4. Positioned within the hollow pipe 4 adjacent the perforated plate 2 is a float member 5 having an arm 6 extending from one side face thereof as at I. The arm 5 projects into a hollow housing 8 integral with pipe 4. A pivot pin 9 is fixed transversely in housing 8 and pivotally supports arm 6 and an externally projecting arm portion I integral with arm 3. The arm l0 terminates in a contact member connected to one pole of a source of electrical energy such as a battery or the like.

Hollow drain pipe 4 is further provided with a structurally integral bearing portion l2 for sup porting the power shaft 3 of an electric motor M having a contact portion l positioned below contact member H. As shown, contact member I5 is electrically connected to the other pole of the source of electrical energy aforementioned. The bearing member I2 is externally threaded at its outer end as at It for receiving internally threaded cap member having packing material l8 surrounding.motorshaft l3;

has H and I5 with a It: wilhnow beseen that bearing member 2 and: shaft ilasare rendered leak-proof by means of the packing and the capreferredatoabove.

Shaft member l3 extendsintodrainpipeithe inwardly pr tectin portion having acr nk. t9 securedlthereto forrrotation therewith, Ac nnecte ing. rod .120 .isspivotallyxconnected:to crank less at 2 the other end of the rod 20 being pivotally con nected to the cross bar 22 of a hollow cylindrical pump piston member 23 as at 24'. As will be seen hollow pump piston member 23 is open at its upper end and is provided with a bottom wall 24 centrally apertured as at 25. A valve seat member 26 is internally secured to hollow piston member 23 and extends diametrically from opposed inner wall portions of member 23. It will be noted that seat 26 is positioned adjacent opening 25 and is provided with a hollow bearing 21. Extending axially through an opening 28 in bearing member 21 is a valve stem 29 having a, valve cap or head 30 normally seated in and closing opening 25 in the wall 24 of piston member 23. A coil spring 3| surrounds the upper end of valve stem 29, one end of spring 3| circumferentially embracing bearing member 21. The upper end of valve stem 29 is threaded as at 32 and receives washer 33 and nut 34, the upper end of the coil spring 3| bearing against the underside of washer 33. It will be understood that the tension of spring 3| may be varied by adjusting the position of nut 34 on the threaded end 32 of valve stem 29.

In the position of the parts shown in the drawing the float member 5 floats on the surface of the water in the drain pipe 4 and contacts H and I5 are in non-contacting position. When waste water flows through apertured drain plate 2 into drain pipe 4 the float member 5 is raised with movement of rod members 6 and I0 about pivot pin 9. This brings about contact of memconsequent starting of the motor M. Motor shaft I3 is now rotated and with it crank arm l9, connecting rod 20, and recipsuits in unseating of rocatory movement is imparted to piston member 23. Upward movement of piston member 23 revalve cap member 30 and the flow of waste water through opening 25 in the bottom wall 24 of piston pump member 23. Downward movement of piston pump member 23 results in closing of opening 25 and forcing of the waste water outwardly in horizontal extension 4a of drain pipe 4, said extension being preferably connected to a waste storage tank (not shown). The tension of spring 3| is so adjusted as to normally seat cap 30 of the valve on bottom wall. 24

3 of piston member 23 to close opening 25 therein. However, upward movement of the piston member 23 will unseat the cap 30 in the manner just described.

It will now be understood that operation of the motor continues as long as water is flowing into drain pipe 4 and is forced out of the pipe by action of piston pump member 23. When waste water no longer flows into drain pipe 4 the level of the float is lowered to assume the position shown in the single figure of the drawing with the consequent breaking of contact between members II and I5 and as a result the motor stops.

From the above it will be apparent that there has been constructed a device well adapted to perform its intended function. Various changes will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains and it is con-, templated to cover all such and to be limitedin this respect only as may be necessary by the scope of the claim hereto appended.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A vertically disposed drain comprising a hollow drain pipe, a substantially horizontally extending arm pivotally secured substantially centrally thereof to said pipe adjacent the upper end of the latter, one end portion of said arm projecting through and into the pipe and the other end portion projecting externally thereof, a float secured to the end of the inwardly projecting portion of the arm and an electrical contact secured to the end of the outwardly projecting portion of the arm, a motor supported by said pipe externally thereof and having an electrical contact member below and spaced from said float contact member, said motor having a shaft substantially parallel with said arm extending through and into the pipe, and a pump member within said pipe connected to and operated by said motor shaft upon closing of said electrical contacts.

CLIFFORD M. RICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

